There is already plenty of textbook-ready material available on the Internet in the public domain or under open licenses, but the real challenge is compiling and editing it so that it will meet the state’s exacting standards. California is known for having the most demanding textbook evaluation practices in the country, with publishers forced to go to extreme lengths to meet state requirements. The arduous review process is forcing some publishing companies to stop selling books in the state and is also a factor that has contributed significantly to the rising cost of K-12 textbooks in California.

Building on the virtualization technology more common to high-power workstations and data centers, the company has revamped its BIOS software to offer features that people tend to associate with a full-blown operating system: the ability to access more peripherals, such as disks and mouses, and networking and wireless communications.

Nerd Pride Day, or Geek Pride Day, is an initiative which claims the right of every person to be a nerd or a geek. Of Spanish origin (“día del orgullo friki” in Spain), it is celebrated nowadays among Spanish frikis (an equivalent of geeks and nerds).1

This day is celebrated on May 25 since 2006, celebrating the premiere of the first Star Wars movie in 1977.

This is similar to what I reported on a few weeks ago, but more technically complex

Robots are getting better at finding their way around unknown areas, and making their own maps as they explore. But robots lost in urban areas don’t need to rely on their own faculties to get from place to place, German roboticists have shown.

Robotic Pole-climbing Quadrupedal Robot: Unlike RiSE V1 and RiSE V2 this newer version adopts a quadrupedal configuration, and was designed by Boston Dynamics, with input from the RiSE Project consortium.

RiSE V3 uses brushless DC motors that increase power density. Coupled with a dramatically different leg mechanism and unique gaited behavior, this robot exhibits rapid climbing (upwards of 22 cm/s) up a vertical surface such as a telephone pole.

! Listener Photo of Hubble
Listener Don sent us a link to [his picture of Hubble|http://www.flickr.com/photos/doneastwest/3526188633/in/set-72057594110936581/] on flickr. Thanks Don!